Federal Budget 2026: NAWL’s Priorities for Women’s Safety and Economic Prosperity

As the federal government prepares the upcoming fall 2026 budget, the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) is calling for investments and legislative reforms that respond to some of the most pressing challenges facing women in Canada: gender-based violence, economic insecurity and discrimination. 

Gender equality is not only a human rights issue. It is also an economic one. Barriers to women’s full participation in Canada’s economy have been estimated to represent $150 billion in unrealized GDP, while sexual violence alone carries an estimated economic cost of $14.8 billion each year. 

Budget 2026 is an opportunity to strengthen the systems and organizations working to address these inequalities. 

First, Canada must invest in the organizations doing the long-term work of advancing women’s rights. NAWL is calling for $10 million annually over five years in mission funding for leading national women’s rights organizations. These organizations provide the research, legal expertise, policy analysis and advocacy needed to achieve systemic change, but many continue to depend on short-term, project-based funding that makes sustained work difficult. 

Canada must also strengthen its response to gender-based violence. Survivors still face significant gaps in access to services, particularly in rural, remote, and Northern communities. NAWL is calling for $200 million annually over five years to continue the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and $44 million annually for a renewed federal GBV strategy, as well as the creation of an independent GBV Commissioner, with an annual budget of $3 million, to strengthen accountability and monitor progress. 

Protecting women’s economic security also requires fixing discrimination in Employment Insurance. People who receive maternity and parental benefits, overwhelmingly women, can be left without access to regular EI benefits if they lose their jobs during or shortly after parental leave. NAWL is calling on the government to amend the Employment Insurance Act so that becoming a parent does not leave workers without an income safety net when they lose their jobs. The government should act on this issue in Budget 2026 and not wait for broader EI reform, as it is likely to hurt more women and families during the current economic and trade uncertainty. 

Budget 2026 must also do more to lift persons with disabilities out of poverty. The rate and depth of poverty experienced by disabled people, particularly disabled women, are on the rise. The Canada Disability Benefit currently provides a maximum of just $200 per month, far below what is needed to address poverty and the additional costs associated with disability. NAWL recommends raising the benefit’s income thresholds, determining eligibility based on individual rather than family income, and making the Disability Tax Credit refundable. 

Finally, economic security cannot be separated from safety. NAWL is calling on the federal government to support and adopt Bill C-223, which would amend the Divorce Act to address the use of “parental alienation” accusations in family court. Women and children need this protection for their safety and to help end domestic violence, which affects women’s economic opportunities and security. 

Budget 2026 is a chance for the federal government to make concrete choices about the kind of social infrastructure Canada needs. Investing in women’s rights organizations, preventing gender-based violence, strengthening income supports and removing discriminatory barriers would help build a country where women and gender-diverse people can live with greater safety, equality, and economic security.